Push button operating device for ball point pens



Dec. 6, 1966 F. LEVOIN 3,289,638

PUSH BUTTON OPERATING DEVICE FOR BALL POINT PENS Filed July 25, 1963 w 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Dec. 6, 1966 F. LEVOIN 3,289,638

PUSH BUTTON OPERATING DEVICE FOR BALL POINT PENS Filed July 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 5 IN V ENTOR.

Y M/c/ LEVM/ United States Patent h 3,289,638 PUSH BUTTON OPERATING DEVICE FOR BALL POINT PENS Francis Levoin, Lugano-Paradiso, Switzerland, assignor to IDEAL s.r.l. Minuterie Metalliche, Campione dlltalia Filed July 23, 1963, Ser. No. 297,153 Claims priority, application Italy, Mar. 29, 1963, Patent 690,549 Claims. (Cl. 12042.(l3)

This invention relates to ball point pens, and particularly to the retraction mechanism for a cartridge whose front end carries the ballpoint.

In one of its aspects, the ball point pen of the invention includes two barrel members, referred to as the upper and lower barrel member without implying a fixed orientation in space, and secured to each other in a fixed position by fastening means so that the barrel members have a common axis and jointly define an axial passage whose terminal orifices are respectively located in the two barrel members.

An ink cartridge axially movable in the passage carries a ball point on one of its longitudinal end portions. The point moves between a writing position outside the pas sage and a retracted position inside the orifice during axial movement of the cartridge which is biased by a spring for movement of the point into the retracted position.

A button is axially movable in the passage between a first and second position, and is rotatable about the axis. In the first button position, a button portion projects from the orifice in the upper barrel member. Another por tion of the button abuttingly engages the cartridge.

A cam mechanism is provided for rotating the button in increments whenever it moves between its first and second positions, and for arresting axial button movement from the second toward the first position in such a manner that the ball point is held in the writing position by the abutting engagement of the other button member portion with the cartridge member when the button is brought into a certain angular position by incremental rotation.

The cam mechanism includes cam faces on the upper and lower barrel members respectively. The cam faces of the two members are axially spaced from each other, and a cam portion of the button is axially interposed therebetween. When the button moves from the first to the second position, its carn portion engages the cam face on the lower barrel portion. When the button then moves from the second to the first position, its cam portion is disengaged from the cam face of the lower barrel member and engages the cam face of the upper barrel member.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of the accompanying drawing which shows preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a ball point pen of the invention in elevation, and partly in axial section, the .point of the pen being in the writing position;

FIG. 2a shows a detail of the pen in elevation;

FIG. 2b shows the detail of FIG. 2a in bottom plan view;

FIG. 3 shows another detail of the pen of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an additional detail of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 5 to 8 show elements of the pen of FIG. 1 in conventional developed views in respective operative positions.

The pen illustrated in FIG. 1 mainly consists of a conventional ink cartridge 11 carrying a ball point g of two tubular unitary barrel elements a and b which will be referred to hereinafter as the upper element a and the lower element b, and a button 6.

As seen in FIG. 3, and even better in FIGS. 5 to 8, the upper element a has an annular downwardly directed 3,289,538 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 internal edge formed with eight teeth a and four axial slots s. Each tooth a has one steep axial flank and one more gently sloping cam flank. The teeth define eight notches therebetween, and the slots s extend from every other notch in alignment with an associated steep tooth flank.

The lower element b has a top edge formed with eight teeth 15' whose spacing and shape are equal to the corresponding properties of the teeth a, and which are circumferentially offset from the teeth a by one half of a tooth spacing. The upper element a constitutes the tapering top end of the pen barrel. The lower element b constitutes the tapering bottom end of the barrel. The button 0, best seen in FIGS. 2a and 2b, is a generally cylindrical pm which projects upward from the axial passage in the barrel through the upper element a, and whose normally concealed lower end carries four short arms c c which project radially from the pin axis and are angularly offset from each other. They are trapezoidal in cross section.

The two barrel elements are secured to each other by a resilient tongue 1 integral with the lower barrel element b and carrying a pin v on its free end. The pin v engages an opening z in the approximately cylindrical wall portion a of the upper barrel element.

The button 0 is axially slidable in the upper barrel element a and rotatable about its axis. Rotation of the button 0 is induced when the button is pushed in the direction of the arrow k.

The operation of the illustrated pen will next be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

Only one of the four arms C1-C4 is shown in these figures for the sake of clarity. In the initial position of the device shown in FIG. 5, the arm c is received in one of the four slots s under the pressure of a helical compression spring e which is interposed between the lower barrel element b and the cartridge 11, and which urges the cartridge upward against the lower end of the button 0. The ballpoint g is retracted.

When the button 6 is depressed in the direction of the arrow k, as shown in FIG. 6, the arm 0 engages one of the teeth b and slides along the sloping cam flank of the engaged tooth b as soon as it leaves the slot s, thereby rotating the button c in the direction of the arrow w through one half of a center-to-center spacing of the teeth b or a.

When the button 0 is released, the arm c is moved axially by the spring e into engagement with the obliquely inclined cam flank of a tooth a as shown in FIG. 7, whereby the button 0 is caused to turn further in the direction of the arrow w by one half tooth spacing, and ultimately comes to rest in a shallow notch between two teeth a, as shown in FIG. 8. The ball point g is thereby held in the writing position.

When the button c is again pressed down and released, the arm 0 enters the next slot sin a position corresponding to that of FIG. 5, and the ball point g is again retracted by its spring 2. At the same time, the other three arms c c engage the other three slots s in a manner which will be obvious and has not been illustrated.

The three components a, b, c, of the pen housing may readily be molded from plastics and assembled in a simple and economical manner. The barrel elements a and b may be secured to each other by cementing, thus making the tongue 1 and pin v unnecessary.

The exposed end of the button 0 is preferably rounded to decrease friction against the pressing finger, and may be made of two pieces rotatably connected for further reducing friction if so desired.

The number of radial arms on the button 0 and the corresponding number of teeth a, b and slots s may be selected at will, but the number of teeth is preferably twice the number of the arms. The width of the slots s 3 is such as to permit free axial movement of the arms c c therein. The thickness of each arm is one half of the tooth spacing.

The lower end face of the upper barrel element a lies in a plane m-n obliquely inclined to the barrel axis, and the lower barrel element 1) has a conformingly inclined shoulder m'-n', best seen in FIG. 4, which abuttingly engages the end face of the upper barrel element a in the assembled condition of the barrel. The terminal top portion of the barrel element b above the shoulder m'n is of reduced diameter and is received in the wall portion a of the upper barrel portion a. The opening z is offset 90 from the end face portion in and n. When the two barrel elements a and b are assembled by axial movement, they are rotated relative to each other by engagement of the shoulder mn' with the end face m-n until the pin v enters the opening z. Conforming engagement of the barrel parts a, b is also facilitated by the shoulder m'n' and the end face m-n when the barrel is held together by cement only.

It will be understood that details of the several pen components may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a ball point pen, in combination:

(a) an upper tubular barrel member;

(b) a lower tubular barrel member;

(c) fastening means securing said barrel members to each other in a fixed position in which said barrel members have a common axis and jointly define an axial passage having terminal orifices in said barrel members respectively;

(d) a cartridge member axially movable in said passa e;

(e) a ball point on one longitudinal end portion of said cartridge member, said ball point moving between a writing position outside the orifice of said passage in said lower bar-rel member and a retracted position inside said orifice during axial movement of said cartridge member;

(f) yieldably resilient means urging said cartridge member to move into the retracted position of said ball point;

(g) a button member axially movable in said passage between a first and a second position and rotatable about said axis, one portion of said button member projecting from the orifice of said passage in said upper barrel member in the first position of the button member, and another portion of said button member abuttingly engaging said cartridge member; and

(h) cooperating cam means on said barrel members and on said button member for incrementally rotating said button member about said axis in response to each axial movement of said button member between said positions thereof, and for arresting said axial movement of the button member from said second toward said first position in such a manner that the ball point is held in said writing position thereof by abutting engagement of said other button member portion with said cartridge member when said button member is rotated into a predetermined angular position by said cam means,

(1) said cam means including a first cam face formed integrally with said upper barrel member, a second cam face formed integrally with said lower barrel member, said first and second cam faces being axially spaced from each other, and a cam portion of said button member axially interposed between said first and second cam faces for engagement with said first cam face during movement of said button member from said second to said first position thereof, and for engagement with said second cam face and disengagement from said first cam face during movement of said button member from said first to said second position thereof, said cam faces being obliquely inclined relative to said axis.

2. In a pen as set forth in claim 1, one of said barrel members being formed with an external shoulder extending in a plane obliquely inclined relative to said axis at a predetermined angle, and having a terminal portion axially extending from said shoulder in a direction away from the orifice in said one barrel member, said terminal portion being rotatably received in the other barrel memher, said other barrel member having an end face axially remote from the orifice in said other barrel member, said end face being obliquely inclined relative to said axis at said predetermined angle, and said fastening means including means for holding said end face and said shoulder in abutting engagement in said plane.

3. In a pen as set forth in claim 2, said one barrel member having one of said cam faces on said terminal portion thereof, and said other barrel member being formed with the other cam face therein.

4. In a pen as set forth in claim 3, said fastening means including a resilient tongue integral with one of said barrel members, the other barrel member being formed with an opening therein, said tongue having a portion adapted to be engaged in said opening, and aligned with said opening when said shoulder and said end face are abuttingly engaged.

5. In a pen as set forth in claim 2, said shoulder and said end face having respective annular face portions about said axis, said face portions abuttingly engaging each other when said tongue portion engages the opening of said other barrel member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,053 12/1888 Boman -20 X 933,248 7/1909 Grant 287-58 1,006,427 10/1911 Boraks 287-58 1,841,357 1/1932 Blakely 287-58 2,400,679 5/1946 Biro 120-20 X 2,843,405 7/1958 Kawalik 287-2 3,051,132 8/1962 Johmann 12042.03 3,133,526 5/1964 Sears 12042.03

FOREIGN PATENTS 635,144 4/ 1950 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner.

H. R. ROSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BALL PORTION PEN, IN COMBINATION: (A) AN UPPER TUBULAR BARREL MEMBER; (B) A LOWER TUBULAR BARREL MEMBER; (C) FASTENING MEANS SECURING SAID BARREL MEMBERS TO EACH OTHER IN A FIXED POSITION IN WHICH SAID BARREL MEMBERS HAVE A COMMON AXIS AND JOINTLY DEFINE AN AXIAL PASSAGE HAVING TERMINAL ORIFICES IN SAID BARREL MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY; (D) A CARTRIDGE MEMBER AXIALLY MOVABLE IN SAID PASSAGE; (E) A BALL POINT ON ONE LONGITUDINAL END PORTION OF SAID CARTRIDGE MEMBER, SAID BALL POINT MOVING BETWEEN A WRITING POSITION OUTSIDE THE ORIFICE OF SAID PASSAGE IN SAID LOWER BARREL MEMBER AND A RETRACTED POSITION INSIDE SAID ORIFICE DURING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CARTRIDGE MEMBER; (F) YIELDABLY RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID CARTRIDGE MEMBER TO MOVE INTO THE RETRACTED POSITION OF SAID BALL POINT; (G) A BUTTON MEMBER AXIALLY MOVABLE IN SAID PASSAGE BETWEEN A FIRST AND A SECOND POSITION AND ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS, ONE PORTION OF SAID BUTTON MEMBER PROJECTING FROM THE ORIFICE OF SAID PASSAGE IN SAID UPPER BARREL MEMBER IN THE FIRST POSITION OF SAID BUTTON MEMBER, AND ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID BUTTON MEMBER ABUTTINGLY ENGAGING SAID CARTRIDGE MEMBER; AND (H) COOPERATING CAM MEANS ON SAID BARREL MEMBERS AND ON SAID BUTTON MEMBER FOR INCREMENTALLY ROTATING SAID BUTTON MEMBER ABOUT SAID AXIS IN RESPONSE TO EACH AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BUTTON MEMBER BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS THEREOF, AND FOR ARRESTING SAID AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE BUTTON MEMBER FROM SAID SECOND TOWARD SAID FIRST POSITION IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE BALL POINT IS HELD IN SAID WRITING POSITION THEREOF BY ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID OTHER BUTTON MEMBER PORTION WITH SAID CARTRIDGE MEMBER WHEN SAID BUTTON MEMBER IS ROTATED INTO A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR POSITION BY SAID CAM MEANS, (1) SAID CAM MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST CAM FACE FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID UPPER BARREL MEMBER, A SECOND CAM FACE FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID LOWER BARREL MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CAM FACES BEING AXIALLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, AND A CAM PORTION OF SAID BUTTON MEMBER AXIALLY INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CAM FACES FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST CAM FACE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID BUTTON MEMBER FROM SAID SECOND TO SAID FIRST POSITION THEREOF, AND FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND CAM FACE AND DISENGAGEMENT FROM SAID FIRST CAM FACE DURING MOVEMENT OF SAID BUTTON MEMBER FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND POSITION THEREOF, SAID CAM FACES BEING OBLIQUELY INCLINED RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS. 